


To Tangle Sunshine With Darkness

by percyjacksonistheprince



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Ballroom Dancing, Dancing, Dancing and Singing, M/M, Tango
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-27
Updated: 2019-01-27
Packaged: 2019-02-11 17:00:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12939720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/percyjacksonistheprince/pseuds/percyjacksonistheprince
Summary: William Solace is a dance teacher in Phoebus Studios and he is well sought after by many many students. Though he barely has any time for himself because of a full schedule, imagine what happens when Phoebus decides to hire a new freestyle teacher who is completely different from Will. A young man named Nico di Angelo.





	To Tangle Sunshine With Darkness

"Five, six, seven, eight." Will clapped his hands on beat as the students in front of him took positions with their partners. "One. Two." He said and they started dancing as he counted on. He walked around as he watched each dancer do the moves he taught them, both the girls and the boys. He said comments if a move was off or even slightly lazy, he would correct them immediately. He would place a hand gently on their shoulder and tell them what was wrong, or he would snap if it was the -nth time they got it wrong.

What never failed to amaze him though was the tenacity and perseverance of each talented dancer, the elegant movement and sharp snap of their legs or their arms, the emotion fueled into each movement. To see a whole class doing such, was amazing.

But of course he could not say that aloud, he must be firm with his dancers, especially since this is his advanced partner class.

He would recommend some of them to compete and showcase their skills in front of crowds dressed in elegant dresses and crisp suits and perfect shoes. He would tell his best dancers to wear their best milongas and best vestidos. Then he would watch proudly from the side, seeing that their hard work has paid off.

Now, Will as was observing, he noticed the owner of the dance studio, no other than his father Phoebus Solace, talking to someone just a little bit outside the room he was in. Will was quite curious but the 23 year old man kept that in check.

Yes he is just 23, his classes do have men and women that are five, ten, twenty years his senior, they would treat him first as a lesser person that is, until they see him dance.

He is a Juliard graduate and has been dancing since he could walk, he knows a bit of ballet and a bit of the other dances, but ever since he found out what tango was (at the age of seven) he fell in love with that, not only because of the beautifully emotional movements or the sheer determination of each dancer, he fell in love with it because of the meaning behind it, dark, dangerous, love, life struggles, that sort of thing. He knew how to dance to other genres but tango was his favorite above them all.

Will is a dance scholar and a dance prodigy, he has competed all over the world, solo dance, group dances, partner dances. He has also done too many recitals to count and too many classes to count. He took ballet, he took jazz, tango, waltz, chacha, swing, hip hop, and other dance genres. He teaches ballet to young kids and teens since he is not as versed in ballet, (though he is good at it, he isn't that sure, so advanced ballet is taught by his mother) and he teaches tango to kids, teens, adults and the advanced classes.

He also substitutes or gives demonstrations when Lee's hip hop class needs it, or when Kayla needs to go to her archery competition, he steps in for her jazz class. He also supervises his mom's ballet class, but he doesn't teach them anything. Will also knows how to freestyle, so he can easily switch from dance to dance. This list could go on and on and on.

Simply put? He's definitely got his hands full.

Will's had some gigs, movies, backup dancer in a concert, something that would challenge him.

He's been teaching for two years now, being instantly hired by his own father who assisted him with his dancing career for he was a dancer himself, ballet actually. Though Phoebus had a better chance at singing than that of dancing.

Going back, Will did look outside though, and he could see vague details about the individual Phoebus was talking too, black clothes, black hair, pale skin, shorter stature... He seemed built like a dancer but Will imagined he was different that what he was.

The class continued on for a while until the two hours was finished and the sun was beginning to set, making the sky beautiful shades of orange and purple. Will dismissed the class and said his goodbyes as each one walked out, all talking happily.

Will sighed, he was quite fulfilled. That was his last class of the day, and he was ready to have a stretch and dance a bit since he had the room to himself. It was his favorite part of being a dance instructor. He went over to the iPod on the dock and played "Thinking out Loud" by Ed Sheeran.

Will cracked his neck and stretched his long arms as he danced to the music.

He incorporated a bit of ballet with a bit of the serious vibe of the tango. His arms would stretch out to the windows as the sun would disappear over the buildings, his feet would carry him places when he would close his eyes and feel the message of the music in his veins. He lets his instincts take over and his legs and feet would follow, folding and unfolding with grace and showing every bit of emotion.

It was a rare occurrence that Will Solace would ever not feel a dance, he would execute it with utmost certainty.

Will wasn't a bad singer, so he hummed parts of the song and sang along in a soft melodious tone.

Halfway through the song when Will was just getting really really into it, someone decided to interrupt.

"Wow." Will heard a voice and he calmed down his expressive movements a bit. The voice was just a little more than a whisper, an escaped expression maybe. His eyes were still closed but he memorized the room he was in, he figured the person was leaning against a mirrored wall, since he would have run into him if he was anywhere else. Will stopped dancing and opened his eyes and searched for the person that spoke.

His breath hitched.

When his blue eyes landed on the intruder his first impression was that he was the exact opposite of him.

The man was about 22 or maybe a bit younger than that. He had raven hair pulled back in a loose bun that left strands of hair dangling in front of his face. His eyes were obsidian black, darker than any eyes Will has ever seen, like a pit that has no bottom. His skin was pale, but it seemed like the pale was not his original skin color, maybe an olive of some sort. Since he was so pale, Will could see the blue of his veins against his skin making lines that traced his face. His face was a bit thin and his cheekbones made shadows on his cheeks.

Will had stopped dancing in the middle of the room and he found himself staring at the man. The shadows seemed to bend towards him as if he was darkness itself. The man's clothes were all black, from his skinny black jeans and black sneakers with untied laces to his fitted black t-shirt and leather jacket. He had a silver skull ring on his left pointer finger which he was twisting.

This was all opposite to what Will was. His eyes were bright blue, a mop of blonde on top of his head and tanned skin. He had freckles splashed across his face and he was wearing light blue loose fitting pants and a white t-shirt with a sun embroidered over the chest pocket.

It was like light and dark were in the same room.

"Um." Will was at a loss for words but that was barely noticeable because he coughed and tried to clear his thoughts. "Yeah, I dance a lot." Will mentally slapped himself, that was one of the stupidest things has ever said. "I mean, I teach here. I wasn't expecting anyone to come in here." As he said that Will went over to the iPod and turned off the music. He cut Ed Sheeran off before he could sing the next chorus. "I usually don't get interrupted."

He turned back to face the man and he saw a pink tinge on his cheeks. "Sorry." He said sheepishly and walked a few steps forward, his hands in his pockets. "I couldn't resist. The comment escaped my lips. It was good, for you know, impromptu dancing."

Impromptu dancing? Will assumed that meant without a set routine, but how was this man supposed to know that he wasn't following a routine? Usually he could get away with it, not practicing for months then slaying the audition, but it was never really noticed.

Will decided to play the nonchalant. He shrugged. "Yeah I guess." He paused. The silence getting awkward. He stared at his shoes for a while, noticing that the edge was starting to peel off.

"Mind if I ask why your here? It's after classes already," Will looked at the man again. "And you're not one of my students... unless you just enrolled, or unless you're someone else's... perhaps Lee's...?"

"Um no actually." There was a twinge of annoyance in his voice and it was clearly seen that he was annoyed due to how quick he fired back an answer. "I'm here to-"

"I see you've acquainted one another already." They were interrupted by a voice that Will had a love/hate relationship with. "I was worrying that I would have to introduce you myself.

"Hi Dad." Will rolled his eyes and smiled a bit.

"Hi Will." Phoebus greeted with a mirrored smile. He was a spitting image of Will, the blonde hair, the blue eyes and the body structure. The difference was in the shape of his lips, his nose and his face. It belonged to his mother, Naomi Solace. "I see you've met this young man." Phoebus put a graceful hand on the man's shoulder.

Will did not fail to notice a flicker of disgust on the man's face when Phoebus touched him.

"Yes I have." Will said slowly, wondering why the man was uncomfortable. "I was just asking him why he was here."

"Oh, he's here to-" Phoebus started to speak.

"I can speak for myself sir." The man said as he casually brushed off Phoebus's hand. "My name is Nico Di Angelo. I came here to teach dance."

Will's eyes widened. He wasn't expecting that from someone who looked like he hadn't graduated college yet. Also, the last name di Angelo rang a bell... he just couldn't put his tongue on it.

"I know I may look young." Nico said as if reading Will's mind, "But I know how to dance." He said it with such confidence Will found it hard not to believe.

"Where did you-"

"Study?" Nico raised an eyebrow. "On the streets of Italy, Spain, Paris, the dance group that I joined in college and of this city, New York."

A street dancer. Will mentally told himself, usually street dancers are his favorite because they can disregard all the rules that are set for them. Will would go join them sometimes and show off his skills and he would learn from them other moves.

He snuck out when he was a teenager, he would go run because his father wouldn't let him go with them. He found beauty in that ruggedness though, so Will went anyway.

The streets of Italy and the other were something else though. He must have done something rather than the rugged moves you can learn on the streets of New York.

Nico's voice snapped him back to reality. "So, with that being said, Phoebus told me that you had your hands full. I saw this job ad in the newspaper and in a flyer a picked up. Said you needed a freestyle dancer." He shrugged. "Thought it would be a good way for me to earn some of my own cash and actually pay for some of my tuition."

Will raised an eyebrow at his dad. Wondering why he put up the ad in the first place.

Phoebus put his hands up. "Will, you're subbing for too many classes and you have too many classes yourself. How many students do you even handle?"

"I'm fine dad." Will crossed his arms. "You know I can handle them." It was true, though he would admit he was more tired as the days went on. He had about four to five classes from Monday to Saturday, each day, and those classes are two hours each.

"Just saying son, you barely have any time to yourself, so I just thought it would be good for someone to help out around here. And I was also thinking of offering a freestyle class, hence freestyle teacher. Well it's not so much a class, like how I explained it to Nico. It's just a time anyone can express themselves without being insecure. Then with like a recital at the end. He could also teach other dances right? Little practice and introduction. Nico?"

"Huh?" Apparently Nico had zoned out because he looked like he was busy examining a crack in his nail. Why Will noticed that detail… he had no idea. "Oh yeah, yeah. Other classes, sure." Nico replied.

Phoebus smiled at Will.

Will sighed. "Dad can I talk to you?"

"Um yeah, sure-" Will grabbed Phoebus's arm and lead him out of the room, leaving Nico staring quizzically at the pair.

"Dad!" Will whisper shouted. "Why did you-"

"William, you know how we need more teachers, and you need more rest!" Phoebus protested.

"A New class dad? Really?" Will knot his eyebrows together. "We have so much-"

"And that is why we need a new teacher!"

Will pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm not annoyed by the fact that you looked for a new teacher, but you didn't tell me."

"I'm your father, I don't have to tell you anything. I also ran this through Naomi and she is fine with it." He put a hand on Will's shoulder. "You also overwork yourself." He sighed. "When was the last time you went out, with your friends. Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Piper, Cecil, Alice? Even Lee, Austin and Kayla, though they teach here, are wondering where you are."

"I saw them last week." Will said.

"Will, I think you're thinking about last month."

Will sighed, defeated. His father wasn't wrong. He even taught on Sundays and he also took classes in his spare time. Night dance classes are his favorite. He didn't have any that night though, but the next night is a different story.

"It's a chance for you to enjoy yourself, and Will, you're only 23, so you have to enjoy yourself. Go out, dance in the streets, meet the guy of your dreams." He raised his eyebrows.

"Dad..." Will blushed. He came out when he realized that he liked one of his boy classmates in tenth grade. The first hint was probably all the silly doodles of him and calligraphy of his name and the stolen glances.

He thought his dad and mom would be disgusted but he was so wrong.

His dad actually told him that he was bi and he did date boys and girls in the past. He ultimately loved Naomi the most out of all of them. So he married her. She was the one that made him feel like he was on top of the world and made him feel like he was the luckiest man alive. (Though that doesn't stop him from examining the merchandise if you know what I mean, currently he is fawning over Chris Hemsworth.)

Naomi accepted Phoebus as he was and had no problem with it. So naturally she had no problem with Will being gay.

Will was grateful for that, because he was tired of lying about his sexuality. It was pretty hard considering lots of girls would look at him but he would never look them and his parents would assume he had a girlfriend already.

"I want to see my son happy, and with someone." Will was about to protest when Phoebus wagged a finger at him. "I also want you take classes not at 9:00PM, please." Phoebus smiled. "That's too late even for someone your age, then you have a class the next day at 8:00AM when your class ends at 11:00PM? William."

Will sighed, knowing he lost. "Fine dad." He smiled gratefully. "Thank you for looking out for me." He clapped his dad's shoulder. "Let's not leave Mr. Di Angelo waiting shall we?"

Phoebus nodded then stopped before he could enter. "Will."

"Yeah?"

"Can you screen him? I mean he'll dance then you look at him."

"What?"

"Like you know, job qualification wise, just watch him dance. Formalities you know."

Will was weirded out but he agreed anyway.

"Wait there's more." Phoebus stopped him again.

"What?" Will asked, annoyed.

"Can you teach him the ropes? Like take him under your wing?" He asked sheepishly the faltered when Will looked at him. "Oh come on Will! He has zero teaching experience but you have to teach him."

Will sighed, he should have known there was a catch. "How long?"

"Well, the freestyle class, well more of program starts next month so..."

"Fine."

Then they walked back into the room.

Nico was sitting down in the middle of the room then immediately got up when the father and son walked in.

"Well Nico," Will ran a hand through his hair. His fingers got stuck in his curly locks though and it looked awkward when his hand would just suddenly stop before moving again. "Um." He looked at his dad who made a go on gesture. "Can you dance? I mean, right now."

"Now?"

"Yeah now. Just want to se your style and everything. Formalities sake."

Nico cocked his head. "Sure? Do I have to?" He asked.

"I mean if you don't want to..."

"What dance?" Nico interrupted, suddenly agreeing though it seemed like he was a bit reluctant.

"Freestyle? I don't know. Whatever you're comfortable with."

"You choose or I choose the song?"

"You choose."

Nico gestured at the iPod. "May I?"

"Knock yourself out."

Nico went over to the iPod and scrolled through the music. He was humming some tune while he was searching.

He selected a song and as it played, it took a while for Will to realize what was being played.

It was Radioactive by Imagine Dragons.

During the intro, Nico promptly collapsed elegantly on the floor. If Will didn't know that he was alive, he would of thought that he was dead.

Or maybe death itself, seeing his long black hair slowly becoming undone and his black clothes making his skin look even paler.

_I'm waking up to ash and dust_  
_I wipe my brow and I sweat my rust_  
_I'm breathing in chemicals_

Nico got up as if he was being pulled up by a puppeteer. Will watched his legs tense up and his head loll lifelessly. His head then snaps up and his limbs move hypnotically as if in a trance.

He continued that even for the next verse, emotion in every move. The story was just like in the song, an individual waking up to a strange, new surrounding and breaking free of all the things that held him or her back.

At the chorus though, it was as if the strings the imaginary puppeteer placed on him broke and he suddenly became more alive. He movements were snappy, deliberate, angry and fierce. His face was dark and his eyes expressed enough emotion to make Will feel like he was being dragged down to hell while Nico was pulling himself out of it.

_I'm waking up_

_I feel it in my bones_

_Enough to make my system blow_

_Welcome to the new age, to the new age_

_Welcome to the new age, to the new age_

_Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive_

_Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive_

He'd kick up and do some martial arts kick that fits into the song, pounding the ground when it was needed and closing his eyes and letting his body take control.

His hair would come loose and locks of his raven hair would hang around his face, making it more dark and full of emotion. The hair cast shadows on his face and exemplified the vibe Nico was going for. The ponytail was already hanging on for dear life.

By the time the bridge played, it had fallen off and spilled his dark locks onto his shoulders.

What made the aura even more ominous was the setting sun, the sky a dark blue now and the only light source was from the fluorescent light above the young man. Darkness and shadow seemed to roll towards him.

Will was completely absorbed into the dance. His eyes never left Nico's dancing frame. He felt something stir in his gut, like an emotion he couldn't quite place. It was like the dark haired boy was dragging him towards the darkness and pain he was bringing out for him.

Phoebus would mutter something to Will but he would brush it off or ignore it.

Wow was the word Will was thinking of the entire time.

Wow.

When the song ended, Nico collapsed on the floor again, waiting for the music to fade out completely.

He then got up normally, his breath a little labored but otherwise as he was. He brushed the hair out of his eyes and wiping his hands on his pants. Nico glanced at Will and his cheeks turned a little pink as he stared down at his shoes.

Will was staring. He knew that because 1.) His eyes hurt because he hasn't blinked in a while and 2.) Will could see Phoebus was hiding a smile behind his hand.

He lightly elbowed his dad knowing he wouldn't hear the end of this and cleared his throat.

"Was that fine? I might have messed up in the third verse." Nico muttered softly.

Will had to play cool but he really wanted to yell at Nico for saying he messed up. He didn't seem like he did and even though it was improvised, Will understood everything completely. He had to be professional about this.

"That was good." Will winced at his own words. "Great actually." He gave himself another mental face palm. His cheeks started to fire up as he refused to look at Nico's eyes. "Um..." He wrung his hands and looked at his dad before continuing. "You got the job!" He clapped. Ew. Awkward. Will thought.

Nico looked at Will. "I did?"

"Yeah. You did." Will smiled.

Nico didn't reciprocate that smile. "Good, I was beginning to think I would have to sell burgers at McDonalds and steal all the Happy Meals for survival." He said frankly. Will felt he was being totally serious. "So when do I start?"

Not usually receiving this kind of serious attitude, Will didn't know what to say. "Come by tomorrow." He cleared his throat. "You can stay with me, I'll show you some of the stuff we do around here. You cool with that?"

Nico shrugged and put his hands in his pockets. "I guess so."

They stood silently for a few moments.

"Well!" Phoebus clapped his hands. "You can go now Nico, see you tomorrow! 8:00 is William's first class, be sure to be here by then."

"No problem Mr. Solace." Nico replied.

"Please call me Phoebus."

"I'd rather call you Mr. Solace if you don't mind."

"Uh... okay." Phoebus said. "Whatever floats your boat."

Nico nodded slightly and went to retrieve his ponytail. He passed by Will and got a black backpack (with a yellow smiley face pinned on it) from beside the door.

Will watched him disappear and listened to the door shut.

He turned back to his dad who was looking at him oddly.

"If you're going to say something, say it now." Will said exasperatedly.

"You didn't stop looking."

"I was studying him." Will said nonchalantly. "His dancing style is erratic and violent. It's different from what we're used to, but it will definitely bring something to the table."

Phoebus paused. "You're interested."

Will looked straight at his dad. "No I'm not."

"You're in denial!"

"Jesus Dad! I just met him. I don't know him." He crossed his arms.

"Visuals first remember. The aesthetic before the personality."

Will huffed in frustration. "If you're so interested, why don't you go get him?"

"I don't want to steal him from you." Phoebus shot back. "This is your chance Will!"

"Dad no." Will sighed. "Isn't there a rule about no fraternization?"

"I own the place. There is no such rule. I mean, I'm married to the teacher next door." He thumb pointed. "And what a fine teacher she is." Phoebus had a far away look in his eyes.

Will sighed. He found it cute when his dad thought about him mom, but he hated it when he was right. He couldn't argue with that logic.

"Ha! Speechless!" Phoebus grinned triumphantly as his eyes focused back on Will. "I win!"

"Dad..." Will blushed hard. He shook it off. "Anyway." Will walked backwards to take the iPod and the dock from the table. He unplugged both items. "I'll go ahead to my apartment."

"Alright. Get some rest. You have to perform your best to put your abilities to the test. Rhyme intended."

Will groaned and walked past his dad and went to the lockers outside. He pulled out his backpack from one of them. He placed the dock in his bag, pulled out his earphones and plugged them into the iPod.

He slung the backpack over his shoulder and walked away from the dance studio.

Nico on the other hand was rubbing his now bruised hand as he walked toward the meeting place of Cerberus, the gang of his father.

Yes, his dad, Hades Kronotiades is the leader of the vigilante group (gang) that practically controls the underground network in the city of New York. They know where to get drugs, who gets them, who to kill, all in all to send a message to the government and its leader, Jupiter. He loathes Jupiter with all his heart and wishes that he will be ruler of the city. He finds Jupiter too lax and careless about what he is doing, especially with his very public affairs with women. It's disgusting and it ruins the reputation of the city.

He believes that if he rules, the city will be in his image and likeness. He would be a god. He could get whatever he wants whenever he wants it.

Hades has a lot of money because of all the gigs he runs, he's not afraid to take the money of the drug lords for himself, or demand payment from those who he would threaten to kill or steal money from shipments and what not. Hades was not a hero, but he knew the difference between improving the city and masking a fake image. He wants power, and if he controls one city, one city which is important, he practically got everything around it.

Imagine Hades' reaction when he found out that his son, Nicolas di Angelo loved to dance instead of fight.

Hades was furious then, he hit Nico the moment the truth flew out of his mouth, but Nico still refused to give up dancing. He had told his father after a heated argument they had, regarding Nico's constant and adamant refusal to go on jobs with him or to do some of Hades' dirty work. It first seemed like it was just his stubbornness, but as time went on, Hades began to feel annoyed that his own son would not assist him. They began to argue.

Nico said that dancing was the only way for him to release his feelings, he hated hurting people because he hated being feared and ignored.

His father had no choice except to just go on with it, it was better than having Nico out on the streets, exposing him.

Hades was the definition of extra-judicial killings, the underground had its own laws and its own king.

People were already scared of Nico, and it wasn't his fault that he was pale and had long dark hair that made him look frightening.

It wasn't just the fact that he was a dancer that separated him from the rest, he had different preferences than the other kids. At the young age of twelve or maybe eleven, he would fail to notice the other girls in his class glance his way sometimes even if they were scared of him. He would fail to notice that some people would take notice of his good looks. The odd thing was that he only felt bashful or embarrassed if some guys (well when they did) whispered in the corners about how he was probabaky exciting to be with. That's when realization hit him like a truck. That's when he realized that he wasn't well… straight. That was when he he finally admitted to himself he had a crush on a sophomore named Percy… who had a girlfriend already and was happily enjoying his time with her. He tried to stop himself from liking him… he truly did try. But he couldn't. He couldn't stop liking him. He just had to accept that he was different. That's what he hated though, he was already different. He was already sometimes being called out for his tight pants or odd choice of hair or his emo style of dressing. He just had to add the fact that he was gay. He came out to his sister and his mom shortly after realizing it, he knew it in his heart they would accept him, and of course they did. They loved him as who he was.

And his mom wanted him to figure out what she had already figured a few years back.

He wanted to be accepted by other people, by his peers. He wanted to be part of a group, after years and years of hiding and running from who he was, only learning to dance from YouTube videos and street dancers he'd watch in secret, and from his hometown Italy, where he learned when he was younger... when his father was in New York and his mom was the one taking care of him in Italy until she died when he was fourteen. His mom was sick, really sick. His dad didn't even come to the funeral. Despite that, he was encouraged to dance by his mom and his sister. They liked it when he was the happy young boy twirling and hopping in the streets.

Bianca di Angelo, his sister, tried to take care of him, but then she died when he was sixteen. She wasn't sick or anything, she just disappeared one day. She said she was just going to go out with her friends then come back really quick.

Her friends came back, she did not. They told Nico that Bianca was with them the whole time, the entire time. Although, there was a point in their going out that they got into trouble, they ran into a local gang in Italy and Bianca distracted them so they could run.

She left them no choice.

Nico filed a case against that, but still, no one saw Bianca di Angelo ever again.

Assumed dead.

Nico was so heartbroken, he ran away from home and went around, using whatever money he had left. For school he scraped by, going to the library and studying was the only way he could do things alone and it was the only way he could afford to. They weren't poor, but he was still a minor, he couldn't enroll himself.

His skin had gone from olive to pale in a span of one year, his hair grew longer and the dark circles around his eyes just grew darker.

He used dance as a way to escape from the nightmarish hell, he danced his way across Europe, making a few friends but never really sticking around.

He had to keep moving or the darkness was going to swallow him up.

He come across bad situations in the two years he's been on the run, but he learned quickly and can defend himself using is own two fists and his quick feet.

Nico was doing fine, right until his father came to him.

He was sleeping on a bench in Paris when a shadow fell over him. Nico had trained himself to notice things like this because of the multiple pickpockets around those parts. He opened his eyes and sat up immediately. He put a hand over his bag.

"Relax boy, I'm not interested in taking your meager stuff." The shadow in front of him said.

Nico gritted his teeth and studied the stranger. Long black hair, a cruel but handsome face, strong shoulders and a build like a panther. The stranger was wearing a black tux that fit him perfectly.

The man in front of him seemed to emit power and strength and he seemed strangely drawn to him.

He spoke to Nico in straight Italian, but with a accent that seemed foreign. He asked how he was.

"What do you want?" Nico asked, ignoring his polite greeting as he gritted his teeth and was already marking a path to escape.

The man smirked and brushed a speck off dust off his tie. He studied his pale hands and he clicked his tongue. "Is that any way to treat your only remaining blood relative?" He looked at Nico with the dark obsidian eyes that reflected Nico's own. It was like staring into a black fire that was drawing him in piece by piece.

Nico's blood turned cold. He didn't remember this man that well, but he knew with certainty who this was. He shook his head in disbelief as the man only stared at him coldly. "You're my..." Nico couldn't bring himself to say the word. "My..."

"Yes. I'm your father." The man smiled, but it had no love, only amusement. "My name is Hades Kronotiades. I am here to take you to New York."

Nico was dumbstruck because he just suggested that. He wanted to scream that he was lying, but the memories began to flood back. He recognised this man. He knew who this was.

Then, he wanted to refuse or snap at the man, or kick his face. (He did develop ways on how to defend himself, considering he was alone.) His eyes glinted with anger and his balled into fists. This was the man that left them without a word, this was the man that left his mom, this was the man that didn't even attend his ex-wife's funeral and this was the man who left him and Bianca alone. He had the audacity to show up after all this time? He didn't even understand why he was here, much less how he found him. "What gives you the right to tell me where to go?" He was almost eighteen, and he was as sure as hell that he could go anywhere once he was legal.

"None of that Nico." The man said so firmly, noticing Nico becoming tense. "You cannot attack me nor escape I'm just going to find you again."

Nico scowled but he held his ground.

"Good." Hades purred and put his hands in the pockets of his slacks.

"How the hell did you find me?" Nico asked through gritted teeth.

"I have eyes and ears everywhere, my connections have connections." He boasted. "When Maria died, I figured you still had your sister, Bianca to look after you." His voice caught on Maria's name and Nico had to resist the urge to snort. Hades was like talking about Maria as if he was always there, but he was not. Hades left Bianca and Nico to Maria when they were 13 and 11 respectively. He never came back. He said he had some business to attend to.

Hades continued, "but then I heard your sister went missing and I realized that I should be looking for you, but when I contacted my contact in Italy, you were gone. It took my a while to hunt you down, but I found you." Hades leaned forward. "You should come with me boy, it will be better than sleeping on the streets. I could use someone like you."

Nico was very confused. Why the hell would his dad need him? He wasn't important for him to suddenly need to get him.

"Why?" Nico asked harshly.

"Because, I owe your mother a favor, I have been absent for a part of your life and I wish to reclaim that." He paused. "Will you not help me fulfill Maria's wishes?"

Hades must have known he had struck a chord with Nico because he had smiled triumphantly. "Good Nico."

"What's in it for you Hades?" Nico crossed his arms, his fingernails digging into his biceps. "I know you're not just doing this out of guilt."

Hades considered this. "Smart boy." He leaned towards Nico, his shadow enveloping him. "To address that question, the answer is simple, but the story is long. I will explain on the way to New York."

Hades stood up and clasped his hands behind his back. He regarded Nico one last time and walked away.

This was his time to escape, but for some reason, Nico found himself getting up and following his father.

Hades gave him a proper education, a year of homeschool that Nico hated but had to do with a tutor and then straight of to college, which he also hated but had to do. Hades put him in a business school.

Of course he did.

The only good thing is that he joined the dance group… he was never allowed to go on the national or televised or any competition for that matter.

God forbid they see Hades' son dance to "Don't Wake Me Up."

God forbid Hades finds out that Nico was so much more different than how much he seemed to be.

Back to the present, Nico climbed a wired fence (carefully labeled: all trespassers will be killed on the spot) and jumped down from it.

He saw the meeting place in the distance, it was actually just his house... or you know, more of his father's mansion.

You all thought it was a warehouse? No, only Hades' subgroups meet in warehouses, Hades himself is too good for that.

He strolled across the green and nodded to all the guards stationed outside.

Nico walked in through the front door, which was slightly ajar.

He tried creeping quietly past the dining room where his father was holding court.

But Hades knew when Nico would pop out.

"Come here." Hades ordered, it was barely above his normal speaking tone but his voice reverberated in Nico's skull, making it seem like it was a bellow.

Nico slowly walked into the dining room. As he did so, he put on a facade. He stood straight, straightened his shirt and stared at each gang member with a wicked gleam in his eye. This was the image his father wanted him to project, not the "dancing puppet" he was apparently. He was a hardened boy, shaped by tragedy and the training of his legendary father. The story was that Nico was surviving on his own, and had his own small gang until his dad got him. That was all well and true, except the gang he was in was not the dance group he stayed with for a while.

"Yes?" Nico asked, making sure he sounded bored. "I've got things to do, Dad." He crossed his arms. "I'm meeting someone early tomorrow morning. He's got some things I want to get."

Hades raised his chin, the approval of the facade. "Nothing much Nicholas. I would just like to ask your opinion on my next operation."

Nico leaned on the wall and raised an eyebrow. He hated his dad's operations, he wanted nothing to do with them. If he could, he would run away, but he knew Hades could and would get him back in a flash.

Hades explained to him the task and Nico just nodded. He couldn't help with being impressed by the immense amount of planning that went to each of his father's jobs, even if he hated all of them. He was asked about them all the time. He had learned how they worked and he knew how to do them.

But Hades knew better than to make Nico do an actual job. He knows that Nico will rather die than start working for his father. Hades just settled for asking Nico for input, so it would look like Nico was deeply involved, when in reality he was not involved at all. It was a good show. The fact that Nico's input was asked for hinted at Nico having his own gang or something.

"It seems good," Nico said after Hades explained it. "but if I were you father, I would post a few more guards around and not put Minos as the get away driver. He has slower reflexes. Perhaps Ram would be better." Nico didn't show his obvious hate for this and decided to show boredom. He looked at his fingernails and picked at them, looking uninterested.

Nico and his dad have been playing this game for the longest time, so it was easy to come up with something.

Minos glared at him from Hades's left side while Ram chuckled silently.

"Actually,"Nico thought for a while. "Minos can be the driver on Sunday as long as he's not chatting up his wife." Nico looked directly at Minos and glared. "You better not get distracted, you nearly jeopardized the last job. Do not repeat that mistake. If it were up to me, you'd be dead by now. You're lucky Hades favors you."

Minos grumbled something under his breath and sank a little lower in his chair. He averted his gaze because Nico's glares were nearly as intense as his father's.

"Anything else?" Nico asked, wanting to go to his room.

Hades leaned back in his chair, a sign that Nico did well. "Nothing that concerns you Nicholas."

"Good." Nico replied and he waved his hand as he turned his back and walked away. "If you have any more requests, I'll be sleeping in my room. Feel free to slit my throat or something."

The others chuckled slightly. As Nico went up the stairs, opting to just eat some of the leftovers in his mini fridge in his room, he heard them talk about him.

All of it was good, the usual watch the attitude, take over the family business, Hades said Nico would make his own empire in a different city blah blah blah. Anything to keep Hades pleased and to keep hiding his disgrace of a son.

Nico sighed, went into his room and shut the door behind him.

-LINE BREAK-

THE NEXT DAY…

Nico arrived at the dance studio at 7:59. He gave some half hearted excuses to his wary father, though he supposed Hades didn't care. Nico was surprised at the sheer amount of students William Solace had. It took Nico so much effort to squeeze himself through all Will's students to get a hold on the door and knock on it.

Nico saw that Will was inside. Stretching. Leisurely. Like he had the whole time to himself.

Nico scowled to himself. The nerve of this guy. If there was one thing he had in common with his father was that he hated not being on time. He hated being late. Will has students waiting outside for him and he was leisurely stretching as if he had no other care in the world. But… there was something endearing about it as well. Nico pushed that thought away. If his father were to find out about this… then he would not know what to do or where to go.

He was definitely over Percy Jackson, he knew that in his heart. He just… he wasn't sure if he was ready for another sort of thing like that again. The man in the room was the complete opposite of him.

Well.

Opposites attract.

Nico couldn't deny the guy's obvious good looks. The lean, toned and graceful body that seemed to always be floating on air. The golden curls that went so well with his sparkling blue eyes, gorgeous tan, freckles and the smile… God.

He tried going in but saw that the door was locked. He got a few glances from the students, but one glare from him made them go back to minding their own business. He had practiced his gangster glare over and over so that it was at par with the Lord of the Underworld himself.

He knocked hard and Will looked up ever so slowly. His eyes caught the sunlight streaming in. Nico looked at him, trying to hide his obvious liking. Hell, he might be straight. Nico chided himself. He might not ever return the feelings, or whatever he felt at the moment. He barely even knew the guy.

Nico raised his eyebrows and the blonde seemed to get his message. He walked towards the door and opened it for Nico.

"Hey Neeks!" Will greeted him with a smile.

Nico grimaced at the nickname. "Don't call me that."

"Death boy?"

"That's even worse, Sunshine." Nico immediately regretted the nickname he decided to give Will. It was cute. Will was nothing more than cute. Goddamit!

Apparently Will did not like that name. "Sunshine?"

Well if it pissed him off a little bit, then Nico wasn't a failure at nicknames at all. "Let me in. Or for that matter, let everyone in. It's 8:00."

Will glanced at the clock on the wall. "Oh. Is it?"

"Yes William. The hour hand is on eight and the minute hand is on twelve."

"Well. If that's the case…" Will pulled back the door so fast Nico almost fell in the room. "Everyone! Lets go in now!"

Nico had to scramble out of the doorway to avoid being trampled by the blonde's students. He had to stay close to Will in order to make sense of what's happening.

"Usual positions everyone." Will called out. "You know the drill."

Nico watched as the dancers made themselves into neat rows and columns. From the attire they were wearing, it was a tango class. Nico didn't feel too bad about his dark grey sweatpants, his usually converse and a black shirt because Will was wearing nearly the exact same thing, except his shirt was a bright yellow and his pants (leggings mind you) were black. He looked like a walking bumblebee.

"I'd like to introduce someone." Will said to the class. He gestured to Nico. "This is Nico di Angelo, the new pain in my ass."

Nico scowled. "Pain in the ass? You're a pain in the ass."

The class laughed. Nico expected a more negative reaction from the blonde, but instead he got a wide smile. He winked at Nico. "At least you know it takes one to be one." Another laugh from the class.

Nico curled his fists and felt his temper rise, but when he saw the smile on Will's face… his temper died down.

"He's going to be my teaching buddy. He's gonna learn the ropes from me and is going to have his own class soon. He's supervising. He may be young but he's…" Will snorted. "Well he's definitely younger than me class, but he's pretty good."

Nico forced himself not to blush at the compliment. He rarely ever gets compliments. He wanted to slap himself, he was acting like a lovesick elephant. No control whatsoever. He had to at least be a lovesick swan today.

"My only consolation is that he thinks I'm good too." Will glanced at him then immediately looked away for some reason. He swallowed, his adam's apple bobbing. "Um…" He cleared this throat. "Partner up! We start from the start until our last position last time." He looked at Nico while the class partnered up. "Would you mind playing the song?"

"What song?"

Will told him the title.

"Ah." Nico raised his eyebrows in realisation. "That one." Nico said and walked over to the iPod on the dock. He played the song.

"You know what to do here?" Will asked him while chewing on his lip.

"Um…"

"Just check if they're being sloppy or something, tinning and whatever. It's for their recital at the end of the session. I choreographed it and stuff…" The blonde rubbed the back of his neck. "You'll feel it when you feel it."

Nico looked at the students who were nearly dancing in sync. He then looked at their partnering. Much to Nico's surprise, there weren't just… boys and girls partnering together, there were boys with boys and girls with girls… not a lot though. Maybe five or six out of the sixteen pairs in the room… but there were. It made him feel happy inside.

"May I ask about…?"

Will seemed to read what he was thinking. "What?" His voice turned defensive, nothing like the bantering they had a while ago. "Something wrong?"

Nico pushed down his anger. He didn't find anything wrong with it. "Of course not Solace. I'm just surprised you'd allow that." The dark haired man had a small smile on his face as he saw two girls give each other a quick peck on the lips when one of them dipped the other. "It's rare to find such an accepting studio…"

"Well obviously." Will rolled his eyes. "Of course I'm so accepting. I mean," He scoffed. "I'm not even straight-" Will shut his mouth quickly and his eyes widened. "I didn't mean." He started to move his hands and made gestures. "No I mean… I mean my dad isn't straight… No wait I'm not supposed to say that… no I mean everyone knows it he's not private about it, he's actually super open about it really but-" Will groaned and placed his face in his hands.

Nico found it cute this guy just came out to him and was acting all flustered about it. "Yes, Solace?" He but his cheek to avoid laughing.

Will peeked out from behind his hands after a while. "Yeah… I just came out didn't I? In the most humiliating way possible."

"Yep."

Will groaned.

"Gay or bi?" Nico ventured. "Pan? Trans? What?"

Will muttered something under his breath before answering, "Gay."

The younger boy didn't want to seem like he was so happy about it. I mean, he was definitely, but he was sure Will had a boyfriend or something.

"What about you?"

Nico came back to the present. "Huh?"

"Straight?"

"I'm not obligated to tell you my sexual preference Solace."

"Aw come on!"

"We have a class to observe." Nico answered and with that, Nico went to look at the students and adjust the smallest things.

Will sighed. "Smooth William. Smooth." He had thought about what his dad said to him yesterday about being interested with Nico… maybe he was, he wasn't sure. But he was so out of practice. He hadn't dated a guy since high school and those usually lasted until the second or third date only. Will wasn't exactly what you would call smooth or suave. He was like a cat, relaxed and laid back… but if you mess with him you get the whole fangs and claws package. Also maybe it was also partially his fault, he couldn't find the right guy. He didn't vibe with them right. Maybe that was why one of the dates ended with him staring at an empty space in front of him.

He wasn't sure what to feel about the vibe Nico was sending him. Will's gaydar is usually right, he thought about the attire Nico wore the previous day. No straight man wears pants that tight. Skinny fucking jeans.

…

Or was it an emo thing…?

Will shook the thoughts out of his head, he would deal with them later. For now he had a class to deal with.

"Hey. What did I say about snappy movements? Don't give me that laziness. Arms up when you have to come on people!" He clapped and went to work.

When the dance ended where they stopped leaning the choreography, Will stopped the music. "Awesome work. Bit more polishing," He looked at his students straight in the eye, the ones that needed a bit more time.

"Now for the next part of the dance," He glanced at Nico. Well, if he was going to try and make his move or something.. it better be now. It might be only one chance. Then again he had the rest of the day with Nico accomoanying all his other classes, he could afforded to fuck up right now. "Nico come here."

Nico came back from his place in the back. He had put his hair into the messy bun he had yesterday. It showed more of his face that Will didn't notice the previous day. The sharp jawline and a small scar on his cheek. His eyes were more prominent as they contrasted against his skin. Nico wasn't the most attractive boy he had seen, but he had everything he didn't know he'd want in a partner.

Well at least visually.

"Nico and I will show you the moves." Will gestured for Nico to come closer to him.

Nico raised his eyebrows but did not disagree or protest. He was close enough to Will that Will could hear his heartbeat in his own ears.

Wait.

That made no sense.

"From your last position." Will took Nico's hand with no hesitation whatsoever. He was teaching. This was normal. He assured himself. He was never picky about who he partnered with. Could be one of his girl students or guys students or whatever. Completely professional. The sparks that shot up his arm was static and no, his hands were not that sweaty. Will then brought a hand to Nico's waist and he felt the dark haired boy tense up, but then ease into it. Will then looked at Nico who was close enough to… well. "Just follow my lead."

"Okay." Nico said softly, his breath warming the space between them. There was a light pink dusting his cheeks.

Will showed them the moves and let them copy it. Nico was a good dance partner. He followed Will's instructions perfectly, though he didn't like all the actual technical terms, something Will could relate to.

When the dance was finished, Will had Nico nearly pinned against the wall, their faces mere inches from the other. Oh why did it have to be the tango. It was a dance that conveyed messages usually about love and lust and desire… the moves he performed with Nico, the brushing of the legs and the dipping and the head movements… it only settled in once he was done showing the class how to finish the dance he choreographed. Will really went beyond PG in this one.

He stepped away from Nico as soon it was over, to avoid any awkward anything. "You get it?" He then realised he would have to do it again and again and again with Nico so that they would get it. He saw their confused glances as they tried to copy. "Alright. Lets take it slowly." He gave the younger man an apologetic look as he extended his hand to him. Nico took it and they danced once more.

It was nearly like that for all the classes Will had. Nico had to partner with Will, Nico had to demonstrate a move, Nico would watch Will flawlessly execute a move. He would mostly stay quiet unless Will asked him not to be. Nico's favourite class was probably the kids ballet. They were so cute. The kids were a bit scared of the "pale guy" but when Will assured them, they warmed up to him. He liked it when Will helped them out and congratulated them. Nico was a bit awkward with the kids, but he figured he'd get the hang of it.

In the time between classes, Nico would help Will clean up, take a water break, stretch a bit, talk about the studio. Will found himself liking Nico a lot more, he wasn't even sure if his words came out as flirty or not. He was already quite interested in the man in front of him.

As for Nico, he found Will more endearing than before. His laugh was so infectious, grumpy Nico had to smile each time. The passion he had when it came to dance, it was incredible. They have very different backgrounds. They went through many different things. He was sure of that… but there was something about him.

During lunch break, Will took Nico out to one of his favourite sandwich joints, you guessed it, Subway. Will bought the food even if Nico insisted he had more than enough money to buy the Grilled Chicken. They did small talk, but nothing, obviously, too personal. Will was still trying to figure out Nico di Angelo, but Nico wasn't quite ready to let him in just yet. Maybe later on? Will was also trying to figure out Nico's sexuality. It wasn't happening just yet.

He was a determined man.

The day ended at six, ten hours at the studio… Nico was tired, Will looked even more so… they just sat down next to each other.

"That was…" Nico couldn't seem to find the right words for what happened. "Fun."

"Yeah. It's kinda like that everyday."

"Would be nice." Nico agreed with Will.

They say I'm comfortable silence for a while until Will got a brilliant idea in his head.

"You want to dance?"

"Will, we spent the whole day dancing." Nico cracked his neck.

"Yeah. But no program, no anything. Just… ideas and constant movement. Freestyle or whatever you want. Just has to go with the song I choose." Will smiled. He liked to dance after every day of class. "It's something I do after every day. You would know that."

Nico blushed. "It was one time. Yesterday."

"That's enough to know me enough for now." Will said, failing to realise that his sentence made no sense whatsoever.

Nico sighed. "So it's like a ritual of yours?"

"And you're my teaching buddy, so you gotta do this with me. Doctor's orders."

"Bullshit. You aren't my doctor."

"I am now." Will stood up and pulled Nico up. "It's a good way to relax a bit, emotions and whatever you're bundling up during the job. Like the feelings you felt today, happy, sad, angry, joyful, that sort of thing."

Nico sighed then nodded slowly, as if he understood. "What song then?"

"Well, one of my students recommended me this, not sure if it's any good… I've just listened to it about a thousand times." Will smirked as he walked away from Nico to the starting point of the dance he was mapping in his head. He found the song on his phone then played it.

"Two Ghosts" by Harry Styles.

"Seriously?" Nico scoffed. Though he was somewhat happy. But, Nico wasn't about to admit he also actually likes this song.

"Seriously." Will said and put the phone on the floor. "You follow my lead?"

"Well. I don't know what vibe to go with it." Nico took a step forward. "But you do."

Will nodded and then started moving once the verse started.

_Same lips red, same eyes blue_

_Same white shirt, couple more tattoos,_

_But it's not you and it's not me_

_Tastes so sweet, looks so real_

_Sounds like something that I used to feel_

_But I can't touch what I see_

Will did gentle and soft movements, nearly like ballet, but more modern. He spun towards Nico and stretched out his arms to him as he reached the end of the first verse.

Nico stepped back, given the meaning of the song. When Will withdrew, Nico did some moves of his own. He moved forward and made his moves seem like he was asking for Will to come with him.

_We're not who we used to be_

_We're not who we used to be_

Will took Nico's hand and pulled him close. They took two steps forward then two steps back. Will was staring at Nico so intently. Like he… he wasn't sure what to feel.

He then spun Nico and made his back face him.

_Trying to remember how it feels like to have a heartbeat_

Nico then separated himself from Will then turned to face him again.

They continued to do these gentle and graceful movements until the final chorus. Jumping in sync, moving like waves on the sea. They were holding each other like lovers do and feeling the music as it was. Sunshine and Darkness could have never been in more harmony than they were in that moment. They were tangled up with each other so intimately they could feel each other's heartbeats.

That's where it kind of went on it's own flow.

At one point, the last chorus, Nico went with his gut instinct and ran towards Will then jumped. Amazingly, Will didn't miss a beat. He caught Nico and he instinctively wrapped his legs around Will's waist and he supported Nico's weight and spun in order to take the momentum.

_We're not who we used to be_

_We're not who we used to be_

_We're just two ghosts standing in the place of you and me_

_We're not who we used to be_

_We don't see what we used to see_

Nico then rested his forehead on Will's. Dance was practically an excuse to be intimate with someone without saying anything. To be intimate with someone you like and not have any repercussions about it.

_We're just two ghosts swimming in a glass half empty_

_Trying to remember how it feels to have a heartbeat_

Will put Nico down and held his hands.

_Trying to remember how it feels to have a heartbeat_

_I'm just trying to remember how it feels to have a heartbeat_

Will then dipped Nico so low that Nico's hair nearly touched the floor.

The song ended, but the duo did not separate. Will was smiling and panting at the same time. His eyes did not leave Nico's face.

"You're good." Will said.

"You're better." Nico replied with a soft smile. Their breath was mingling in the air between them.

Will fought the urge to kiss him. He had been dancing with him the whole day. He had been holding him the whole damn day. They have been talking the whole day. He felt like he's known Nico for the longest time… but he had barely scratched the surface. Neither did Nico. Dancing was such an amazing way to showcase one another's feelings. No words.

"I-" Will cleared his throat. "I-" His throat practically closed up. He stared at Nico's lips for a a long while and noticed Nico was glancing at his. They have been brushing each other and dancing around "professionally" the entire day. Will supposed he was subconsciously flirting with him and making dance an excuse. "I want to date you." He blurted that out and immediately regretted it after.

Nico seemed taken aback. "What?"

"Sorry! It's just that we've been so close the whole day and it's just that you're so great and it's like we've known I mean we're so in sync and I'm just blabbing now and I kinda like you and-" Will's face started to heat up. "Oh my God. Are you straight? I am so sorry. I can't even, did I just? What? I um…"

Nico shut him up with a light kiss on the lips. Will was so surprised but he was quick to kiss him back. It was short, but sweet. Nico's lips were warm and soft and he wasn't a bad kisser either. He tasted like cinnamon, despite the extra onions he had on his sandwich earlier. He imagined it was the candy he saw Nico sneak into his mouth every once in a while.

When they separated Will helped Nico up from the dip and smiled at him. "That was… a nice surprise."

"Good." Nico blushed hard. "Because I was afraid you would push me down to the ground."

"If that was the way I'd get a yes every time I asked someone on a date, I'd be a happy man."

Nico smirked.

"So you aren't straight huh Death boy?" Will raised an eyebrow. "Rainbows and Death?"

Nico smiled sheepishly and squeezed Will's hand before letting go. "No. I'm gay. Definitely not straight. Thought you would of figured it out anyway."

Will smiled wider then cleared his throat. "You wanna grab a bite? I know this great place down the corner…"

"You asking me out?"

"Yes I am. I did say I wanted to date you, and you kissed me Di Angelo." Will pointed at Nico.

"Sure Sunshine." Nico put his hands in the pocket of his sweatpants. "I'll go with you to McDonalds."

"How did you know-"

"Wild guess. I'm craving it anyway. I'm getting the happy meal." Nico then picked up his bag from the corner of the room. "Come on Will."

Will picked up his own bag with a huge smile on his face. "Let's go then."

And they walked out of the studio together.

-LINE BREAK-


End file.
